Zoom lenses are useful, but they need a complex optical formula, which means, compared to prime lenses, they are pretty big and heavy. That’s the reason why they aren’t used that often, and if, in a simpler and more basic version (with a small zoom range and/or slow speed) in smartphones and in compact cameras.

Corephotonics, an Israeli company aims to change that with its latest zoom approach. Instead of a zoom lens and a sensor there will be two camera modules, one with a wide-angle prime lens and another with a tele prime lens. An innovative software calculates the missing focal lengths between both ends of the “zoom”. The zoom lens doesn’t require any moving parts.

This approach was first demonstrated two years ago, back then with only a 3x zoom. The newest model “Hawkeye”, which was presented a few days ago at the Mobile World Congress 2016, comes with a dual 13-mp-camera, 5x zoom, improved noise performance and an enhanced optical image stabilizer. The following video by CNET gives you a little insight into this new, exciting technology.

The first smartphones using this technology are supposed to arrive on the market in fall 2016.